Barbara H. Riley

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Purple Passion: Ultra Violet Named 2018 Color of the Year

Purple lovers rejoice! Pantone has picked 18-3838 Ultra Violet as its 2018 color of the year.

According to an article by Joanne Friedrick at Home Furnishings News (HFN), the blue-based purple is described as “provocative, thoughtful and mystical” as well as “evocative of the night sky and the mysteries of the universe.”

“We are living in a time that requires inventiveness and imagination,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute in a statement for HFN. “It is this kind of creative inspiration that is indigenous to Ultra Violet.”

According to HFN, Pantone points to purple’s correlation to counterculture, unconventionality and artistic genius, evidenced in the likes of music greats Prince, David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix, who donned shades of deep purple to express their individuality.

And historically, there has been a mystical or spiritual quality attached to moody purples, often associated with mindfulness and meditation practices.

When it comes to home decor, reports HFN, Pantone suggests using Ultra Violet to transform a room with self-expression or, conversely, tone down a room, with its subdued hue. Described as “a color that can take you in so many directions,” Ultra Violet can be elegant or bold.

Try Ultra Violet as an accent color in a main room, such as your living room or dining room, or to cover all four walls in a bedroom or bathroom. It can also add interest and ambience when used on a room’s fifth wall - the ceiling. Or try it on accent furniture pieces for a mystical pop of color in any room.